Crutch.



B. McA. BRADFORD..

CRUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2. 1917.

;Patented- Feb.19,1918.'

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GRUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. I917.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Application filed November 12, 1917.

l 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD MOAULEY BRADFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hope Mills, in the county of Cumberland, State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Crutch; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved crutch and anti-slipping means therefor, and one of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved, simple and practical crutch construction, which may be manufactured for a small cost and sold at a reasonable profit.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and efiicientanti-slipping means for the crutch, whereby when the crutch is used on the ice or slippery side walks and the like the crutch is prevented from slipping.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby the anti-slip ping device for sleet and ice may be retracted upwardly into the lower end of the crutch, thereby preventing the anti-slipping device or spur from tearing the carpet the like, or scratching polished floors. w' the crutch is used in doors. W hen the spur or anti-slipping member is retracted. the usual rubber tip of the crutch may be employed to prevent the crutch from slipping on floors and the like.

A further object of the invention is the provision of meansconnecting between the spur or anti-slipping member and the handle of the crutch whereby as the handle is rotated in one direction or the other the spur or slipping device may be extended or retracted.

In practical fields the c etails of construction may necessitate alterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts as hereinafter set forth shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the crutch showing the same constructed in accordance with the invention.

g 2 is e t onal View on l ne 2-12 of Fig. 1. v V

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1a, 1918.

Serial No. 201,608.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2.

F 1g. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view through portions of the side out bars and the handle Which connects between the bars.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the lower end of the crutch.

Referring more especially to the draw ings, 1 and 2 designate the side bars of the crutch, which bars are bowed as shown, and have their upper ends provided with reduced cylindrical tenons or extensions 3. to fit correspondingly shaped mortises l of the arm rest 5. The lower ends of the side crutch Jars are brought toward each other, so that they engage, and are secured together by the band 6, which is held in place by the screws 7. A rubber tip or cushion 8 is provided and this cushion has a socket 9 to receive the adjacent end portions of the. side crutch bars. This rubber tip or cushion is designed to engage floors and the like to prevent slipping of the crutch. The lower faces of the lower end portions of the crutch bars are provided with longitudinally extending recesses 10, (which are semi-circular in cross section) and when said adjacent faces are brought together a cylindrical opening is constructed for the reception of an anti-slipping device or spur 11. The adjacent faces of the side bars from points above the handle of the crutch down to where the adjacent faces engage are provided with channels 12, for the reception of the metal. strips or bars 13. The lower ends of the strips or bars 13 are secured by screws 14 to the metallic slide block or member 15, into which the spur or antislipping .device is threaded. The upper ends of the metallic strips or bars are provided with suitable rack teeth 16. The handle comprises the spindle shaft l'? (which is rectangular in cross section) and the wood handle member 18, which is fitted on the rectangular spindle 17. The end portions 19 of the spindle are cylindrical, and are provided with gears or pinions 20, which mesh with the teeth 16 of the strips or bars 13, so that when the spindle is rotated in one direction or the other, the strips or bars 13 may be reciprocated downwardly or upwardly. If they are moved down- I wardly, the spur or anti-slipping device is designed to engage the ice or*sleet,-to"pre-' vent the crutch from slipping. However, when thestrips'or bars 13 are moved upwardly, it is obvious that the spur or antislipping device will be retracted, so that-therubber tip or cushion maybe employed 'to prevent slipping of the-crutch on the dry pavement or polished floors, When the spur is retracted, the crutch may be used in doors to prevent tearing or punching holes in: the carpet. Secured by screws 21 on the outer faces of the side crutch bars 1 ande2' are i 1 plates 22 provided with tubular extensions '23. The outer portions of the extensions '23 are enlarged and globular shaped. These 1 globular portions have their' interiors as at 24 engaged by the ball bearings 25, which are in turn engaged by" the race ways26 of the plates 27, which are threaded on the extensions 19, there being lock nuts 28 also threaded on the extensions 19 to hold the plates 27 in place.

provided with transverse groovesor slots, 30 to receive a spanner wrench, whereby the plates may be screwed to the extensions 18.

Cap or cover members3lare threaded onto the globular portions of the extensions 23, inorder. to protect and coverthe plates 27 and nuts 28. These caps'or cover members 31 are provided with grooved slots 32 to receive the end of a screw driver, whereby they maybe removed. By the provision'of the ball-bearings, it is to be noted that the spindle of-the handles will not engage the openings through the wood; side crutch. bars, I

therefore prevent Wear; l

The invention having beenset forth What is claimed as new and useful is 1. In a crutch, a pair of crutch side bars the adjacent faces of which having channels, the lower end of the crutch having a guide, a spur mounted therein, a block mounted and guided in the lower portions of said channels and connected to the spur, rackbars mounted in said 'channelsand-having their lower-ends connected to opposite sides of the blocks, a handle having a spindle mounted in bearings of-the side barsrofr the crutch, the spindle of the handler 'havingv [gears meshingwith the racks whereby the spur may beiextended or retracted, said: bearings 7 having ball bearings for the spindle, to prevent the spindle from wearing onthe wood of the crutch bar.

In combination with ahcrutchahaving .apair o'fecrutch side bar's converging toward eachother at their lower ends and means for securing their lower ends utogether, the adjacent faces of said; secured ends :having a.b0re formed therein,- a pin vertically inovablef in said-bore the adjacent .faces of, thecrut-ch side barsliavtd n'g'or {his 'ie t aerate-essaassist, each, by addre Washington, D. 0.

\Vashers 2 9 are arranged-I between said nuts and the plates, which arespur ing U sha-p'ed channels extending longitudinallyof thebars, rack bars movable longivtu'dina-lly in said channels, a block between and connecting the lower end of said rack bars and being threaded vto said spur pin; "plates secured on theexterior side faces of the lc'rutch bars and provided with ball bearings, a. spindleshaft having its opposite ends passing non-ffrictionally through the crutch bars and through said plates andtengaging'said ball bearings, gears on tl1e: op

posite ends :of said-spindle shaft and'ineshing with the teeth of said rackbars, and a handle carriedby and movable with the spindle shaft foroperatingthe same. 7

3. In combination with a crutch'having V a pair of crutch sidebars having their adjacent faces provided with longitudinally extending channels U-shaped in cross sec ions thereon, rack bars in said channels ,en

gaging said pinions, a,handle fixedon the spindle shaft, the lower ends of the rack bars being connected and provided with a spur pin adapted to be extendedand retracted through the lower ends of i the.

crutch bars. V V v a V .4. In combination with a crutch having a pair of crutch sidebars having their adjacent faces'provided with. longitudinally extending channels, plates securedon the outer side faces of said crutch bars,sa id plates and said bars respectively having registering openings, a spindle shaft having its opposite. ends extending through said openings and provided with pinions located in the upper end portions of said channels,

said plates having mean to support the spindle shaft non-frictionally in said open ings, rack bars in said channelslmes'hing w th sald pln ons, the lower ends'of the rack .bars beingfconnected and, provided with a spur pin adapted to be extended and retracted through the lower ends of the crutch )bars, and a handle on said spindle shaftfor adjusting. the rack bars to extend andre I tractrthe spur pin. 7

testimony whereofname to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v r

, rrarian icintiir tariiroaii. .VVitnesse's: V; i

13.. McL, ,NEWTON, z VMrs. W.;B Curing, 1

the f c mm one f int t I have signed my 

